Hydraulic Equipment Maintenance for the Automotive Industry
In the automotive industry, hydraulic equipment maintenance is necessary for your facility’s hydraulic pumps, hydraulic bolting tools (torque wrenches), hydraulic pullers, and hydraulic nut splitters. With on-time, expert preventative maintenance, your hydraulic equipment for the automotive industry will offer better reliability and efficiency.
Hydraulic equipment maintenance requires extensive knowledge of hydraulic technology and experience. A hydraulic equipment technician can provide timely maintenance for all your hydraulic systems. However, there are basic steps that your operator teams can take between scheduled maintenance appointments to extend your equipment’s life and keep it working.
Hydraulic Pump Maintenance: Regularly Inspect, Clean and Replace Hydraulic Pump Components
Every hydraulic pump delivers critical fluid power to your other hydraulic components, so if the pump experiences downtime, so will your operations. To ensure optimal performance and reliability from your hydraulic pumps, the following maintenance routines are recommended:
- Inspect and replace hydraulic fluid at specified intervals – Low fluid levels and fluid contamination will interfere with hydraulic pump operation and increase the risk of serious failures. Consult the manufacturer’s guide on fluid change intervals and inspect hydraulic fluid regularly for any signs of contamination. Hydraulic fluid that appears cloudy or has visible sediment is a warning sign.
- Perform a detailed visual inspection after every job – Before storing your hydraulic pumps following operation, check for any signs of damage and for any dirt or debris. Any contamination on the outside of the hydraulic pump has a chance to enter the system and damage internal components.
- Check the seals and filters regularly – The seals and filters in your hydraulic system represent high-risk failure points. Oversaturated filters can push contamination into the system or restrict flow. A bad seal can cause internal leaking and allow contaminants into the system. When inspecting your hydraulic pump, pay extra attention to the condition of your filters and seals and replace them as soon as wear is spotted.
- Keep everything clean – Wipe the hydraulic pump down after use. Its’s quick, easy and prevents the number one cause of hydraulic fluid contamination. An occasional flush will clean out the pump’s reservoir and the lines. During a hydraulic pump flush, the reservoir should be cleaned out with a mild solvent before running clean fluid through the system.
- Know how your hydraulic pump should sound and “feel” – Most importantly, your operators should become familiar with how the hydraulic pump looks, sounds, and feels while running. If the pump makes an unusual sound or if the tools it is powering handle roughly or inconsistently, these are at least notable from a troubleshooting standpoint. If something feels wrong with your hydraulic pump, it’s time for a thorough inspection.
The above represents basic preventative maintenance. It will support your hydraulic pump’s efficient operation, but if disassembly is required to troubleshoot or repair the problem, you may need to bring in a hydraulic technician to diagnose and remedy the issue.
Hydraulic Bolting Tool Maintenance: Clean and Grease Critical Components Regularly
Hydraulic bolting tools – torque wrenches primarily – ensure every fastener is tightened within extremely tight tolerances. Given their precision operation, it’s important to keep bolting tools in good condition, and the following maintenance routines can help with that:
- Check for any damage or wear to critical components – Following an extended run of use, automotive crews should check their hydraulic torque wrenches for any wear to the wrench body, the drive shaft, the ratchet, and pawl. If any component is showing signs of damage, wear, or corrosion, it should be replaced before failure occurs.
- Look for fluid leaks following operation – If hydraulic fluid leaks onto the torque wrench’s body or from the connectors, check its seals, the connectors, and the hoses for any likely failures.
- Break down the wrench for an occasional cleaning – When time permits, operators should carefully disassemble their torque wrenches and clean the internal components with a gentle solvent. During this process, focus on the drive shaft, housing guard, ratchet, drive shoe, springs and level assembly.
- Lubricate any bearing surfaces – Following cleaning, lubricate any bearing surfaces with molybdenum grease. The ratchet lever and drive, along with the button assembly are important parts to lubricate. Avoid greasing the drive shoe or ratchet teeth, as this may adversely affect performance.
Hydraulic Puller and Nut Splitter Maintenance: Proper Operation and Lubrication are Essential
When extra force is needed to remove a shaft-mounted part or stubborn nut, hydraulic pullers and nut splitters can provide the needed force. To prevent failures with either, the following preventative maintenance is recommended:
- Stay within the equipment’s limits – Never exceed the hydraulic puller’s capacity during operation. Verify that the puller can handle the job before beginning, as overexerting it just slightly can slowly damage it over time. Do not apply heat to your hydraulic pullers during loading, as this may cause them to fail.
- Ensure high quality replacement parts are used – If replacement hardware or parts are needed to repair your hydraulic torque wrench, avoid using standard grade replacements. High quality parts that are designed for your hydraulic puller will hold up better during operation.
- Grease the working surfaces before operation – Before engaging your hydraulic puller, it’s important to lubricate the spindle and center bolt. A graphite lubricant is sufficient and will ensure safe puller operation.
How a Hydraulic Equipment Expert Can Help the Automotive Industry
Any hydraulic system failure has the potential to be extremely costly and cause safety problems. Automotive companies cannot compromise in this area, which is why many partner with an expert technician to oversee their hydraulic equipment maintenance. Here’s why:
- Expert, thorough maintenance and repair – Hydraulic maintenance technicians are familiar with leading hydraulic equipment manufacturers and the equipment they produce. This advanced knowledge means a hydraulic technician can reliably disassemble and reassemble hydraulic systems, isolate the problem, provide an accurate diagnosis, and minimize any failure’s impact.
- Expanded parts availability – Hydraulic equipment experts maintain an inventory of replacement parts, including seals, valves, hoses, fittings, and other rapid-wear components. If all your hydraulic system needs is a new part, your technician can provide a quick fix.
- Extended equipment lifespan – The best way to deal with hydraulic equipment failures is to prevent them from occurring. Preventative maintenance is essential in this mission and your hydraulic technician can reliably provide it on schedule.
Automotive companies rely on their hydraulic equipment to keep the assembly lines moving. For most facilities in the automotive industry, there’s no room in the budget for unexpected, extended downtime. A reputable hydraulic equipment technician can protect against this by optimizing your hydraulic system’s reliability and productivity.